“I was speaking to Rio Ferdinand and that’s what he was saying about always looking to what’s next,” said the unbeaten world heavyweight king.

“He said the mindset at Manchester United was, 'What’s next?'

“He said he would win a big game and everyone would be celebrating and he would be speaking to the gaffer and saying ‘What’s next? Who have we got?’ The mindset was to keep pushing on — what’s the next game? What’s the next trophy?

Fergie and Ferdinand conquered the Premier League and Europe together at Man United (Image: Man Utd/Getty)

“That’s the winning mindset Sir Alex Ferguson instilled in them. I think that’s instilled in me too. It’s just who I am. That winning mentality is just me in life.”

Joshua’s ‘What’s next?’ mindset means he has moved on from his epic win over Wladimir Klitschko in April, which made him a global boxing star.

Yes, it's a night Joshua will never forget, but he knows he has to focus on beating Carlos Takam this weekend in the defence of his WBA Super and IBF belts.

His story is still in its early chapters and he was intrigued when told on Thursday that no heavyweight in history has ever held all four major titles simultaneously.

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He immediately set that as his goal and it could be realised by the end of next year if promoter Eddie Hearn can land fights with WBO champ Joseph Parker and WBC king Deontay Wilder.

Joshua said: “Even though the Klitschko fight was great, I’ve got to forget it and move on. I can’t keep looking back at it. It’s gone.

“I can’t go out and perform badly against Takam and say, 'It’s OK because I did so well against Klitschko.' That’s not how you progress.

“Takam is all I’m thinking about because he’s my next fight. I will definitely have more big fights in my career, but I have to take care of Takam first.

While April's superfight against Klitschko was a great occasion, Joshua has moved on... (Image: AFP/Getty)

...in his bid to be the first heavyweight ever to hold all four major governing bodies' belts (Image: Lawrence Lustig)

“People will be watching around the world. My challengers will be watching as well. They will always judge you on your last performance, so I’ve got to make sure I look good defeating Takam.”

Joshua, 28, says he gets this single-mindedness from his dad, Robert, who remains a big part of his life, even tough he lives in Nigeria.

Robert split from Joshua’s mum, Yeta Odusanya, when he was a kid, but still played an important role in shaping him.

“Yeah, I get that mentality from my dad,” he said. “My dad is the boss, big Josh.”

Joshua also has the common touch and he will step into the ring under the closed roof of Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on Saturday night determined to entertain the record 78,000 crowd.

He knows they are expecting stoppage No 20 of Joshua’s 20-fight pro career - and he will not disappoint them.

The odds on rock-bottom Crystal Palace winning the Premier League title this season are almost as long as those of Takam winning, and Joshua towers nearly five inches over the Cameroon-born Frenchman.

Joshua is the bigger, younger man — the odds are stacked against late sub Takam (Image: Getty)

Joshua’s superior reach means it will be a night of pain for Takam, as long as it lasts, under the relentless barrage of his rapier jab and clubbing right hand.

The fans will go home happy and that is important to Joshua, who has never forgotten being pushed back by a security guard when he tried to ask George Groves for one of his gloves six years ago.

“It was at the James DeGale-George Groves fight,” he said. “I asked for Groves’ glove and the security guard was like ‘Get back!’.

“I still haven’t forgotten that today, so it stays with you. The time you give someone will stay with someone a lifetime — and the time you don’t give someone, will stay with them a lifetime.”